Heartbeat
by OlieGoldenWolf
Summary: Lucy understood what people meant when they talked about freezing a moment in time. This moment was so perfect, with Natsu simply hugging her, sleeping by her side, showing her his love for her, that she wished for it to freeze and never end. It was bliss.


**Author's note:** There's way too much angst going on in the fandom, so here, have this shameless, sickeningly sweet fluffy fic. God knows we need it.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does. And this work was beta-readed by _Whisperwing._

* * *

 **Heartbeat**

* * *

It was four o'clock in the afternoon on a cold autumn day. The days were getting shorter and the sunlight was dwindling to a sunset. Soft rays of light found their way in between open curtains to land on the faces of the young married couple. A fire was crackling in the fireplace of their cozy home, keeping the place warm and comfortable.

Lucy was soundly asleep on the couch, with an equally gone Natsu wrapping his arms around her faintly swelled belly. She was lying on her back, since resting on her front had proven impossible during the last weeks; her stomach had become an impassable obstacle.

They were used to napping like this. Ever since she'd learned about her pregnancy, she had discovered that tiredness lingered in her every action, and her normal sleep hours were never enough. Wendy had assured her that it was nothing to worry about. Every woman took her pregnancy differently, and she should listen to her body's demands. She had also been craving physical contact more than usual, a craving that Natsu was more than happy to satisfy for her. So it became a daily routine: whenever she felt like her eyelids were too heavy and her legs began to give up on her, she would lay down on the bed or the sofa, close her eyes and let her body do its resting.

The first few times the experience had taken place, Natsu hadn't been around to share it with her. Missions usually forced him to be out of town for a couple of days at a time, during which Lucy would feel lonely and uneasy, as if a part of her was missing. Nevertheless, she understood that it was a necessary evil. Somebody needed to keep putting bread on the table, and given her current state, she was only allowed to do minor class missions with little to no pay, leaving Natsu as their only source of true income.

But one day he had come back from a mission feeling particularly exhausted. The mission hadn't been too tough, but it had been far away, and lately Natsu had resigned himself to taking the train in order to shorten distances and thus, reduce the time they spent apart. The motion sickness had drained him completely, and as soon as he had gotten home to their little cabin in the woods, had collapsed on the bed, unable to move a single muscle. The timing had been perfect, for Lucy had been feeling a little bit worn out herself.

As they laid together in their little love nest, Natsu had lazily wrapped his arms around her, leaned his head on her pregnant belly, and declared it was the comfiest pillow he had ever rested on and that in this way he could make sure the baby and her were safe. He had fallen asleep before Lucy could protest about her own comfortableness, but she found that the position didn't really bother her. In fact, it made her feel strangely protected and loved.

They had shared these innocent, intimate moments ever since, in the position that made her feel like the most loved woman in the world; the position they were napping in this exact moment.

Lucy opened her lids languidly, with eye boogers bothering her slightly. She rubbed her eyes clumsily, sleepiness weighing down every one of her actions, before stretching out her limbs with a yawn. She felt the familiar, calming weight on her stomach and her gaze fell to find the pink bush of hair that could only belong to her husband. A loving smile tweaked her lips.

She allowed her head to fall back and her eyes to close again, the smile never leaving her face and a deep, content sigh filled her lungs. Her fingers glided into the jungle of pink hair and raked his scalp in a gentle caress. Natsu responded almost immediately, and subconsciously inched his head closer to the doting hand. Her fond grin only grew wider. He was still asleep, but his love would seek her presence even in the deepest of slumbers.

Lucy knew the definition of happiness and all of its synonyms. She handled the word with skill and ability, as any proud writer should. She considered herself to have had a happy life up until now. Yes, she admitted that she hadn't had it the easiest: the odds had not always been in her favor. But despite all the guild wars, black apocalyptic dragons, time loops and uncaring fathers, she had come out of her problems as a stronger person and wizard. She had overcome the adversities like the survivor she was, always side by side with her friends, laughing with the family she called her guild, and always, _always_ flanked by the man she now called her husband.

Yes, she could brag about having a happy life, yet she had never felt so fulfilled, never felt so _complete_ and rewarded as how she was feeling right now. Her baby, her _child_ was due to come five months from now. She had a caring husband who was perfectly imperfect in his own way, and she loved him with all her heart. She was starting a family of her very own, her own little clan, and she still belonged to something bigger, to a bigger family that would always protect her, laugh and cry with her, because Fairy Tail does not leave nakama behind.

Suddenly, Lucy understood what people meant when they talked about freezing a moment in time. This moment was so perfect, with Natsu simply hugging her, sleeping by her side, showing her his love for her and their offspring, that she wished for it to freeze and never end. Obviously, nothing was flawless - she would rather not have the hellish morning sickness, the liquid retention was kind of killing her and she would definitely prefer to have her baby in the crook of her arm instead of her womb - but all in all it was simply wonderful. It was _bliss_.

* * *

Natsu stirred in his sleep, partially coming out from his dreamless rest. He wasn't really sure of what year he was in, the way one usually does after a particularly great nap. But there were nails grazing his hair and Lucy's scent was filling his nose. A steady, strong heartbeat that he knew as well as his own was pounding below him. The closeness of the beat filled him with calmness. It was a reassurance, that even if he suddenly woke up floating in Edolas, everything was as it should be. Lucy was safe and protected in his arms. Everything was fine.

His eyes opened ever so slightly, more of a reflexive act than a conscious action. Light shrank his pupils, coming from the window above him. The atmosphere was heavy with warmth; he heard the logs spluttering on the fireplace and his sharp eyes caught the faint silhouette of mites dancing in the air. The place screamed of laziness, a laziness that his bones were slowly drinking in, reclaiming him once again into the realm of sleep.

He was about to let himself fall into the void that was napping when a hum above him told him that Lucy, unlike him, was completely awake. She shook a little bit underneath him, but didn't seem to have intentions of getting out of the sofa… so it wouldn't hurt if he dozed off, he reasoned. His lids were annoyingly heavy, anyway.

"Who's gonna cook dinner tonight?"

The phrase came out of nowhere, pulling him away from the edge he had been about to fall over. His eyes shot open once again with a groan. He had been so _close_ to returning to sleep…

"I cooked it yesterday," he mumbled against her stomach.

He heard a protesting whine in the distance, followed by muttered words, "But I'm not in the mood for cooking…"

He sighed and forced his stupor away, resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to get more napping time. Not that his own rest mattered much. Taking care of his pregnant wife had become one of his favorite hobbies lately. He had come to enjoy doting on her as much as he did battling a worthy opponent. Still, having to give up his sleep nudged the tips of his nerves. An involuntary yawn escaped him as his mind slowly but surely shifted into a more awakened mode.

"We can always call for a pizza delivery".

"Yeah, but…" Lucy looked aside, a poorly concealed pout on her features. Natsu lifted his head and leaned his chin over her belly to have a better look at her. She was biting her bottom lip, an unsatisfied look on her face. Natsu frowned at seeing his wife this fidgety.

"What is it Lucy?"

"I just…" She gave him a sidelong look before returning her eyes to the ceiling. "I kind of want to eat your spicy spaghetti".

He arched a brow at that.

"But that's what I cooked for you yesterday".

"Yes but… I want it again. It's really good spaghetti".

Good spaghetti? Seriously? Lucy would usually complain about his cooking, the reason being precisely because it was _too_ spicy, _"to the point of burning my mouth like a freaking hell. Not all of us breathe fire, Natsu!"_ He winced slightly as the yells resonated in his ears. No, Lucy most definitely hated his cooking. Then why was she asking for it again? It didn't make much sense. Unless… A grin spread on Natsu's face as realization slowly dawned on him.

"Is this a craving?"

Lucy's brows shot to her hairline, and she gave him an incredulous look. "What?"

"Aww, your first craving! We need to write this down, so that we can tell the baby how their weirdo of a mother craved spicy spaghetti!"

"What? No! You are not writing anything down!"

"Of course I will. We need to keep records of the pregnancy for the future, you said it yourself".

"I…" Lucy stumbled with shame in her cheeks, realizing she had been trapped by the words she had uttered herself at the beginning of the gestation.

"You see, I'm a genius," he taunted her with a knowing smirk.

"Oh, just shut up and cook me my spaghetti…" she grumbled out between her pouting lips, crossing her arms and looking aside. Natsu chuckled at her abnormally childish demeanor. It was nice to see her relax enough to lower her defenses every once in a while. The pregnancy had her stressed and nervous all the time, and that was probably the reason why she was in need of more sleeping hours than usual.

Lucy made an attempt to sit up, but he kept her down.

"Okay, I'll cook it for you later but right now, can we keep like this? I was having a really good time sleeping, and you could probably use some more resting." There was nothing but good intentions in his tone of voice, and his eyes only showed loving concern for her. A sigh was her only answer, reluctantly agreeing with him, and readjusting her body on the couch.

He leaned his head back contently on her belly. Her even breathing and heartbeat created a steady lullaby that sailed him back securely into the mares of sleep. His eyes closed once again, drifting off as his arms surrounded her body, and his ear pressed against her skin.

Sleeping like this was good.

But then, another sound made itself present. He scowled, for he wasn't really sure of what it was. It seemed to come from _inside_ Lucy. Worry was his first reaction. What was that sound? Was it a bad sign? His closed lids squinted, and he focused all of his concentration on listening as carefully as possible. The foreign sound was hidden beneath the sound of Lucy's heart, and that was probably the reason why he hadn't grasped it before. Like a low drum, it had a solid tempo, interweaving with her heart, but it was smaller, quieter, although not shy. No, this sound was anything _but_ shy. It was strong and fast as nothing he had ever heard before, splurging life and hopes of future.

Suddenly, Natsu knew exactly what he was listening to.

"I think I can hear their heartbeat," he whispered with awe dying his words.

Lucy snapped her eyes open with surprise.

"What?"

"The baby's heartbeat," he mumbled, only sparing her a look before returning all of his attention to the sweet music below him. "I think I can hear it".

"The baby's… heartbeat?" A shocked expression had taken over her face, but it was quickly replaced by one of utmost joy and barely contained excitement, while she tried to sit up.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, following her every move, his ear not leaving her stomach even for a second.

"But how…? Oh, forget it. How is it? Tell me about it," she pleaded as her hand found its way into his pink hair.

"It's… fast. Uncannily fast. Is it even normal for it to be this fast?" The question was uttered more like a voiced thought than an actual answer to her. Without giving her a chance to reply, he continued. "They will probably be an S-class mage in no time with a heart as wild as this one, you should hear how it goes, _tun tun tun tun tun tun tun_ …"

"But… but is it a good fast or a bad fast?" she demanded, motherly instincts kicking in. Her right hand was immediately on her belly, looking for the sound he was listening to.

"No, no. Definitely a good fast. Wow, it's almost as if they were screaming _'Hey! I'm here! Notice me, Mom! Dad!'_ " he said with a chuckle.

Lucy couldn't help the earnest smile that took over her face. She stroked her hand over her belly, hoping to convey through layers of skin the caress that was meant for the life she was nurturing inside of her.

"We notice you, baby," she whispered tenderly. "And we are eagerly waiting for your arrival. I want you to know, that even though you haven't even been born yet, you very, very loved."

Natsu lifted his gaze to her from where he was listening on her stomach with a small smile, and their eyes met for a brief second before he pulled them away. However, Lucy was able to see the tiny glistening that was hiding in the corner of his green orbs.

"Natsu…" she whispered, bewildered, "are you… crying?"

Said man sighed and his breath caught. Lucy was shocked to realize he was trembling. Once again, he lifted his gaze to hers, and she was struck by the sheer intensity that had made his eyes water. His bottom lip was quivering and he seemed to have difficulties in finding the right words to express his feelings.

"Lucy, I'm… I'm listening to our baby's heartbeat." His voice was nothing more than a breathy string of delight clogging his throat. "It's the life of our child that I'm listening to. They are alive, and breathing and just waiting to meet us." He broke eye contact as a tear escaped him. His next words were uttered against her skin, as if he wanted the baby to listen to them as much as she was. " _Our_ child is here, telling us they are okay and strong. And I'm just crying like an emotional wimp".

Lucy had to laugh at that last part. Natsu smiled a peaceful grin.

"I'm sure they will be enjoying hearing about this when they are born", she said slyly.

Surprisingly, Natsu lifted his head with a smile as wide as his face allowed.

"You know what, you are absolutely _right_."

* * *

Her daughter was looking at him from her place on his knee with big, attentive eyes. She had drunk in every word of his tale with fixed awe, absorbing as many details from her intrauterine life as she possibly could. They were sitting on the sofa of their living room, the very same sofa were the story he had just told her had taken place.

"And so, that was the most moving moment of your life?"

He looked in Toia's eyes, and closed his own, searching for that same heartbeat he had heard seven years ago. He sighed contently when he found it, always a reassurance.

"Yes, it was," he answered with easiness.

"More moving than when I was born? Or when you carried me for the first time?"

"Those were really… unimaginably… exciting moments. I can only compare them to the thrill I felt when your little brother was born too," he said as treasured memories passed behind his closed lids.

"Oh, oh! But that wasn't as exciting as the time you heard my heartbeat, was it? Was my birth more exciting than Luca's?" she asked, not wanting the spotlight to be taken away from her.

He eyes snapped open to look at her sternly.

"Don't make those kinds of questions. I've already told you, it's completely pointless. Why do you keep trying to compete with your brother? Your mother and I, we love you both equally," he said as he ruffled her hair, his scolding subtle but enough.

Toia pouted and looked down, playing with a shy flame between her fingers. The girl was beginning to manipulate her fire magic with a little bit of more control, and practicing at any time of the day had become as natural to her as breathing. However, Natsu knew his child as well as the back of his hand, and he knew Toia would try to divert adult's attention to her hands whenever she was being chided. He also knew better than to point this out to her. Instead, he eyed her with an arched brow and took her tiny hands in one of his, helping her to create a bigger yet contained flame. Seeing her achievement, a big smiled spread on Toia's features, and that bright face was a reminder to Natsu of why everything in his life simply made sense. Yet, he kept the firm expression as he called her once again:

"Toia."

"What?"

"Do you understand what I said?"

The flame extinguished as a guilty look washed her daughter's features.

"Yeah, maybe…" she said, avoiding his gaze by turning her back on him.

"It's important that you do," he insisted.

"I get it, seriously!" She nodded as if to emphasize her point. "But you did say that listening to my heartbeat for the first time was 'the most touching moment of your life'…"

"The thing with that particular moment," Natsu said as he took her hands again and coaxed flames from her fingertips, "was that everything was new. You were our first child. We were inexperienced back then. Everything was a surprise with you. Your first kicks, your birth, your first words, your first steps… Those were also our first times. And first times are always exciting."

Flames danced in Toia's hands, bigger than they had ever been before, going as far as to lick her elbows. But she was calm because she knew her dad was right behind her, watching out for her every move.

"You were also kind of our first draft. I must admit, you made things a lot easier for your brother Luca…"

"Hey! I'm not a first draft!" she protested, the fire spluttering angrily with her indignation.

"Of course you are not. You are our beloved daughter," he comforted her, planting a kiss on her hair.

Toia bit her bottom lip, a blush tinting her chicks the same color as the hair she had inherited from her dad. She felt him leaning his chin over her shoulder to have a better look at the flames, which had now surpassed the limit of her elbows and where grazing the beginning of her upper arms. But she didn't make eye contact with him, since manipulating magic required her full attention, even though he was helping her to keep the flames under control.

"When I heard your heartbeat, Toia… it took me completely by surprise." He murmured in her ear. "I most definitely wasn't expecting it. And yet, there you were, calling my attention, as if you were angry because I hadn't noticed you sooner. My baby's heartbeat was there, telling me _'Hey, dad, I'm here. Guess what, you will be a true father in no time'_ …" He lost his words for a few seconds, tears appearing on his eyes as the memory took over him. "I remember I was speechless. It was so striking that I can still remember everything perfectly today."

Toia remained quiet, biting her inner chick. His dad was talking as if he was relating his favorite movie, but in a much more intimate way. There was such passion in his voice… to know that he was speaking about her… it made her feel a little bit overwhelmed.

She startled when the flames grew bigger all of a sudden, making her jolt with fear. Her dad was right beside her though, and tightening his grip on her hands, he calmed the fire down with ease until only a small flicker was left on her fingers. She sighed relieved. There was nothing to fear. Her dad was protecting her.

"Dad, I… understand what you told me," she murmured then, some of her father's poignant words slipping into her and warming her core.

Hearing something as simple as that brought Natsu more sense of achievement than any S-class mission he could have done before.

"That's good, Tory," he answered with a lighter tone, caressing her hair.

"Yeah…" The little scowl that creased her brows was exactly the same her mother had, he noted casually. Without any warning, she spun around and surrounded his neck with her arms, trapping him in a bear-like hug. "I love you, dad," she mumbled against his neck.

He exhaled in surprise and hugged her back.

"I love you too, my little flame nugget," he answered with his trademark grin.

Leaning against the frame of the door of the kitchen, Lucy watched them with a peaceful expression. Earlier in her life, she had thought that happiness meant wanting to freeze a moment in time so that it would never end. She now understood she had been wrong. Happiness was ethereal, temporary, it came and went in small moments like this one, and wanting to encage it in a frozen instant would be a terrible mistake, like killing a blossoming flower. Experience had taught her that it was only another step in life to allow that flower to grow, to keep it firmly rooted to stand any storm and hail, to finally watch it blooming and become something better than what it had been before.

She sighed, watching the scene before her. The beautiful flower that had bloomed into her lovely family.


End file.
